Ben Brode on how Hearthstone is getting its own identity

In the beginning,Hearthstonewas structured to mirrorWorld of Warcraftas closely as possible. That subtitle, Heroes ofWarcraft,”was not a joke. You have characters like Jaina Proudmore, Thrall, and Garrosh Hellscream, summoning mainstays like Dark Iron Dwarves, Azure Drakes, Stranglethorn Tigers. If you were a bigWorld of Warcraftfan,Hearthstonedrew you in because of its consistency. The sound and mechanics of a Divine Shield were the same in both games. It was easy to feel at home.

SinceGoblins vs. Gnomes,however, that started to change.Hearthstonealways maintained a silly, sarcastic sense of humor, but now the game was introducing its own characters. You no longer needed to be ordained inWorld of Warcraftto make it into the in-universe card game.

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